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2013 Audi S8 problems, recalls and owner complaints
What the 2013 Audi S8 has been recalled for and what owners report, from official government data. Updated October 25, 2026.
- 5safety recalls
- 13owner complaints
- 0crash reports
- 0fire reports
- 0injuries reported
The most complained-about Audi S8 year on file: 13 complaints, against an average of 4 for the other 4 model years.
Every Audi S8 model year with its number of owner complaints. Pick a year to compare.
What goes wrong with the 2013 Audi S8?
The components named most often in the 13 owner complaints. One complaint can name several, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
What symptoms do 2013 Audi S8 owners describe?
Found by reading the text of all 13 owner complaints. Tap a symptom for the answer, a real owner quote and any related recall.
Has the 2013 Audi S8 been recalled?
5 U.S. safety recalls. Repairs are free at a franchised dealer; some are done over the air.
Engine And Engine Cooling: Engine: Gasoline: Turbo/Supercharger Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2013-2017 A8, S6 Sedan, S7, S8, and 2014-2017 RS7 vehicles. The turbocharger oil supply strainer can become blocked, causing wear to the bearings due to lack of lubrication.
Risk: Worn bearings can cause the turbine wheel to contact the turbocharger housing or cause the shaft to break, causing an engine stall and increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the oil strainer and perform an oil change, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 4, 2022. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 21H7.
Structure: Body: Hood Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2013-2018 Audi S8 and A8 vehicles. The seal around the engine compartment may come loose and contact hot engine components.
Risk: If the seal contacts hot engine components, there could be an increased risk of a fire.
Fix: Audi will notify owners, and dealers will install a retaining plate to prevent the engine compartment seal from loosening. The recall began September 4, 2020. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 51G6.
Fuel System, Gasoline: Delivery: Hoses, Lines/Piping, And Fittings Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2013-2016 Audi A8 and S8 vehicles. The fuel supply line for the high pressure fuel pump may become porous and leak fuel.
Risk: Leaking fuel, in the presence of an ignition source, increases the risk of fire.
Fix: Audi has notified owners, and dealers will install a fuel pressure damper, free of charge. The recall began February 21, 2019. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 20BM.
Fuel System, Gasoline: Delivery: Hoses, Lines/Piping, And Fittings Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2013-2015 Audi S8 and A8 vehicles. The fuel supply line for the high pressure fuel pump may become porous over time, resulting in a fuel leak.
Risk: A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source can increase the risk of a fire.
Fix: Audi will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel line, free of charge. The recall began July 20, 2018. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 20AV.
Visibility: Sun/Moon Roof Assembly Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Audi A8 and S8 vehicles equipped with a standard sunroof, manufactured March 12, 2013, through July 15, 2013. These vehicles are equipped with a standard sunroof glass panel that may shatter.
Risk: Should the sunroof's glass break while the vehicle is in use, the falling glass could injure the driver or passengers. It could also distract the driver, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the sunroof glass panel, free of charge. The recall began on October 21, 2013. Owners may contact Audi of America at 1-800-822-2834. Volkwagen's number for this campaign is 60B6/1L.
Is the 2013 Audi S8 recalled in the UK or Europe?
Recalls issued by the UK's DVSA and through the EU's Safety Gate system that cover this model and build period. European models can differ from U.S. ones, and "years estimated" means the recall gave no build dates, so confirm your own car with your registration or VIN.
UK DVSAThe engine compartment seal may become deformed and loose
Risk: The engine compartment seal may become deformed and come loose in unfavourable circumstances
Fix: A retaining plate will be fitted on the affected vehicles to prevent the engine compartment seal from coming loose.
EU Safety GateThe wire coil profile used in the radiator tank seal may be deformed due to the very variable temperatures within the engine compartment.Over time, and under unfavourable conditions, this could lead to the radiator seal coming loose. A loose radiator seal could come into contact with hot components in the engine compartment as a result of vibrations during driving. This could lead to the seal and, potentially, neighbouring components starting to smoulder, increasing the risk of fire.
Measures: Type of economic operator taking notified measure(s): Manufacturer; Category of measure(s): Recall of the product from end users; Date of entry into force: Unknown
What do 2013 Audi S8 owners report?
12 of the 13 complaints, the most recent for the most-reported components, as the owners wrote them. NHTSA removes names and VINs; long reports are trimmed. CarHooq has not verified individual claims.
The windshield top gasket is not working and the glass can be easily pushed out an 1/8”. Wind can be heard while driving and when it’s raining water runs through steady stream. I was under the impression that the windshield is an integral part of the cars structure.
The dealer doesn’t want to perform the recall due to branded title. They should though. Please look into it
Engine turbocharger experience catastrophic damage, engine stalled, power steering was disrupted.
The car was running rough for a couple weeks; hesitant to accelerate, failed to start multiple times and idled rough. One day I was coming home from my hour long commute, I put the car in reverse in my driveway and the car started bucking so badly that it became un-drivable. At this point we had to get the car towed on a flatbed an hour away to the nearest dealership and this is when we discovered that the turbos had gone bad. There was no check engine light or any indication before it just failed. I am active duty in the United States Coast Guard and being without a car is not an option…
WHILE DRIVING ON THE MAIN HIGHWAY, MY CAR ENGINE SHUT OFF. I HAD DYSFUNCTIONAL BRAKE AND STEERING FAILURE. BRAKE WAS HARDLY WORKING AND I HAD TO USE ALL MY STRENGTH TO CONTROL STEERING. BASICALLY, WHILE DRIVING AT 50MPH, CAR ENGINE SHUT OFF WITHOUT WARNING AND I LOST STEERING AND BRAKING. I WAS ABLE TO PULL OFF THE ROAD INTO A VACANT PARKING LOT AND CAR CAME TO A STOP. FORTUNATELY, NO CARS WERE AROUND AT THE TIME. OTHERWISE, I ALONG WITH MY FAMILY WOULD HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN A POTENTIALLY FATAL ACCIDENT. MY CAR HAD BEEN SERVICED BY AUDI SINCE PURCHASE. IT WAS JUST SERVICED WITHIN THE PAST…
TURBOS FAILED, CAR STALLED AND WILL NOT START UNLESS GIVING IT GAS. DOWN ON POWER AND PERFORMANCE. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON
TURBOCHARGERS FAILURE DUE TO CLOGGED OIL SCREEN. HAD TO REPLACE BOTH TURBOCHARGER WITH NEW UNITS AND REPLACED OIL SCREEN WITH UPDATED VERSION
WHILE ON THE HIGHWAY, I NOTICED THAT THE CAR WAS NOT PICKING UP APPROPRIATE SPEED WHEN ACCELERATING. THERE WAS NO PRIOR NOTICE OR ENGINE LIGHTS OR ANY ABNORMALITIES WITH THE VEHICLE PRIOR TO THIS. I DECIDED TO PULL OFF THE HIGHWAY AT A REST AREA AND AS THE CAR WAS SLOWED DOWN AROUND 15-20 MPH, I LOST TOTAL POWER OF THE VEHICLE AND WAS UNABLE TO STEER OR USE THE BRAKES. LUCKILY THE CAR WAS ABLE TO COAST TO A STOP WITHOUT INJURY BUT WAS EXTREMELY FRIGHTENING WITH MY FAMILY IN THE VEHICLE. AFTER TOW TO THE AUDI DEALERSHIP I WAS INFORMED THAT THE PROBLEM WAS A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF THE TURBOS IN…
BOTH TURBOS ON THE ENGINE WERE DAMAGED TO THE POINT OF REPLACEMENT, CAUSING THE CAR TO STALL OUT AT IDLE AT A BUSY INTERSECTION PUTTING ME IN DANGER OF AN ACCIDENT. MY CAR HAD LESS THAN 50,000 MILES ON IT. *TR
WHILE DRIVING, THE CAR STARTED TO RUN ROUGH AND WOULDN'T IDLE WHEN I CAME TO A STOP. IT BECAME VERY HARD TO START, ESPECIALLY WHEN HOT. WHILE THE CAR WAS IN FOR RECALL WORK IT WAS DIAGNOSED WITH BAD TURBOCHARGERS. QUOTED OVER $10K IN REPAIRS.
IT IF VERY WELL KNOWN ISSUE FOR 4.0TT V8 AUDI ENGINE, THERE IS POUR OIL SUPPLY TO TURBOS WHICH CAUSING THEM TO FAIL. AFTER AN HOUR OF CRUISING ON HIGHWAY CAR WOULD CHOKE ON IDLE, DIFFICULT TO EVEN START. AUDI DEALER DIAGNOSED TURBO FAILURE WITHOUT UNDERLINE CAUSE. 10K DOLLARS REPAIR EVERY 20-50K MILES IS UNREASONABLE DUE TO FACT THAT OIL SEPARATOR, OIL STRAINER, SEALS AND COOLANT LINES HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED TO BE DEFECTIVE AND UPDATED BY MANUFACTURER (AUDI)
CAR HAS 3 BENT RIMS AND A BROKEN MOTOR MOUNT CARMAX WILL TRY TO SAY THEY FIXED RIMS AND THE MOTOR MOUNT IS FINE
2013 Audi S8: questions owners ask
Is the 2013 Audi S8 reliable?
NHTSA data alone cannot rate reliability, but it shows what owners reported. Owners filed 13 complaints with NHTSA about the 2013 Audi S8; the most common categories were engine (11, 84.6%), fuel/propulsion system (1, 7.7%), power train (1, 7.7%). There are 5 safety recalls.
What are the most common problems with the 2013 Audi S8?
Across 13 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the categories mentioned most often are engine (84.6% of complaints), fuel/propulsion system (7.7% of complaints), power train (7.7% of complaints), vehicle speed control (7.7% of complaints), wheels (7.7% of complaints). One complaint can name several components.
Does the 2013 Audi S8 have any recalls?
Yes. NHTSA lists 5 recalls for the 2013 Audi S8; the most recent (campaign 22V178000, 2022-03-23) concerns Engine And Engine Cooling: Engine: Gasoline: Turbo/Supercharger. Recall repairs are free at a franchised dealer; check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Why does my 2013 Audi S8 stall, lose power or shut off while driving?
4 of the 13 owner complaints NHTSA has on file for the 2013 Audi S8 (30.8%) describe the engine stalling, losing power or shutting off while driving. One owner wrote: "Turbos failed, car stalled and will not start unless giving it gas. down on power and performance. check engine light came on" (NHTSA complaint 11423603, July 2021). If it happens to your car, check your VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov/recalls and report the problem to NHTSA; complaints are what trigger investigations.
Does the 2013 Audi S8 have turbo problems?
4 of the 13 owner complaints NHTSA has on file for the 2013 Audi S8 (30.8%) describe turbocharger failure or turbo noise. One owner wrote: "While driving, the car started to run rough and wouldn't idle when i came to a stop. it became very hard to start, especially when hot. while the car was in for recall work it was diagnosed with bad turbochargers. quoted over $10k in repairs." (NHTSA complaint 11209622, May 2019). If it happens to your car, check your VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov/recalls and report the problem to NHTSA; complaints are what trigger investigations.
Check your own S8
Counts are a starting point, not a verdict: popular models collect more complaints because more of them are on the road, and NHTSA does not verify individual reports. To see whether a recall is still open on your car, enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls (U.S.) or your registration at check-vehicle-recalls.service.gov.uk (UK). Had a safety problem? Report it to NHTSA; complaints are what trigger investigations and recalls.
Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation recall and complaint databases (public domain), DVSA vehicle recalls (Open Government Licence v3.0), EU Safety Gate alerts (© European Union), retrieved October 25, 2026. Model year 2013 only.